Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space

<p>The Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space or PARCS was an <a href="/facts/Atomic_clock/MF8nsXDR">atomic-clock</a> mission scheduled to fly on the <a href="/facts/International_Space_Station/VNPUBz9m">International Space Station</a> (ISS) in 2008, but cancelled to make way for the <a href="/facts/Vision_for_Space_Exploration/FY56Inv6">Vision for Space Exploration</a>. The mission, to have been funded by <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>, involved a laser-cooled <a href="/facts/Caesium/dXKN1S5k">caesium</a> atomic clock, and a time-transfer system using <a href="/facts/Global_Positioning_System/DKVLnzF3">Global Positioning System</a> (GPS) satellites. PARCS was to fly concurrently with the Superconducting Microwave Oscillator (SUMO) a different type of clock that was to be compared against the PARCS clock to test certain theories. The objectives of the mission were to have been:
</p>
<ul><li>Test <a href="/facts/Gravitation/bqAN7DdQ">gravitational theory</a></li>
<li>Study laser-cooled <a href="/facts/Atom/FoQ4kGN5">atoms</a> in <a href="/facts/Microgravity/3bwWnSlj">microgravity</a></li>
<li>Improve the accuracy of <a href="/facts/Time/HceJKUGB">timekeeping</a> on earth</li></ul>

Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space open-in-new

Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space